Make It Impossible To Run Away

‘Why are you caressing someone’s tongue with excitement on your handsome face?’

Rahik seemed to enjoy this, the action bringing a slight smile to the corner of his lips. I didn’t quite understand why he did this, but I was close to biting him.

Clearly, Rahik stood at the center of power.

He always wore a lavish uniform, equipped with medals on his chest. He sometimes wore fancy necklaces and brooches designed for men, but he only wore real jewels, not imitation stones.

My mother and younger brother always received presents after concerts and events. Among them, it was normal to find jewels and precious metals.

Most of them were real, but there were also fakes from time to time. It was part of my daily life to find and organize them. Thus, it was not difficult to identify the ruby embedded in his brooch today.

If he had enough wealth to request a custom piece from a craftsman, he also had the means to bury a few people.

I didn’t want to even imagine how things would be if this place had been full of distrust or hatred, rather than the kindness and friendliness shown, despite the language barrier…

It’s not an exaggeration to say that my life is in Rahik’s hands.

‘The most important rule to follow during a kidnapping is to avoid provoking the kidnappers.’

The next rule would have been to not look at his face, but I had already crossed that bridge, so it was best to follow the first rule.

‘After all, I just need to learn a little bit of the language here. Then find a way to escape….’

I rarely found the opportunity to sort through my thoughts since I was falling asleep all the time. Regardless of the activity, I was always nodding off or already in dreamland.

It didn’t seem like I was being given sleeping pills, so maybe I’m still not feeling well.

‘Still, I feel much better today.’

So, I needed to investigate the situation as much as possible.

If I can’t speak the language, I should try to communicate using gestures.

“Where am I?”

To express ‘where’, I held up my index finger, moving it back and forth.  To express ‘here’ I held out my hands, moving them in a circular motion.

Meanwhile, Rahik was watching with a curious expression on his face, which fueled my courage. There’s no way I’m the only one frustrated with the lack of communication, Rahik had to be equally frustrated.

‘The most hopeful assumption is that he possibly picked me up after an accident.’

And brought me to his place of residence.

Naturally, I couldn’t imagine why they had no knowledge of cell phones, but there were many such people in the world.

In other words, there are certain individuals, with status similar to a count, who still ruled the territories inherited from generation to generation and live as if they are in the Middle Ages, away from civilization.

Or just wanted to pretend to be something like this.

Whatever happened, I planned to find out every last detail.

“Give me a piece of paper and a pen. I will draw pictures to ask my questions.”

[A picture… That’s quite smart. I’m not adverse to the idea of you being clever.]

“There must be some paper. It’s very flat. Along with a pen…”

What would my brother do in this situation? He would probably cry and make a fuss. Something I had learned to not do through extensive emotional control training.

‘You must hide your emotions and never be shaken. Since you’re not a prodigy, at the very least you can control your feelings.’

‘Don’t cry or laugh uncontrollably. What will you do if your younger brother loses the competition because he is influenced by you?’

‘Useless girl! I have told you over and over again that your brother is easily influenced by the feelings of the people around him! If you don’t know how to do anything, then don’t block your brother’s path!’

The words were like scars that refused to fade away.

My mother is a genius pianist. My younger brother is said to be a prodigy who will surpass our mother. On the other hand, I was the useless one.

If she didn’t want to see me, it would have been far better to send me somewhere to live on my own, but I didn’t even have the freedom to move.

“I can’t play the piano without my sister…”

It was a shameful day when my younger brother returned from a competition without pressing any keys because I wasn’t sitting next to him for the first time in his life. It was also my 14th birthday, but I spent it hiding and crying alone.

From that day on, I lived under surveillance.

I couldn’t even get my driver’s license, but my younger brother had multiple cars and was driving around excitedly.

Every summer, I had to stay inside alone while my brother swam in the lake near our house.

Because my only purpose was taking care of my brother.

Perhaps that’s why all of this didn’t seem so awkward or crazy.

Since I have been trained to control my emotions, I was used to being moderately resigned and adapting myself to fit the situation. If the situation was like a glass cup, I could fold myself to fit. If it was like a wine glass, I could also spread myself just enough to not overflow…

‘Ah.’

Suddenly, my mouth fell open.

‘Why can I remember my family, but not my name?’

For a moment, I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

I was obsessed with the memories of my life.

Since I always needed to be devoid of emotions, I lived a life without much stimulation. In the end, there was no difference between yesterday and today.

The only difference between last year and this year is the diary I kept of my struggles to live each day in a slightly different way.

I wrote in that diary and reread the entries. That’s how I tried to give meaning to my humble life.

If life is like a flower, I wanted to nurture it, even if it wasn’t a gorgeous flower like a lily or a rose.

‘It’s okay, I will be pretty too.’ 

That was how I comforted myself.

But now, it felt like all that effort was for nothing.

I can’t believe I have forgotten myself, but the memories of my family are so clear. It should be the other way around.

“Legria,” Rahik whispered softly. He sounded somewhat displeased.

When I came to my senses, Rahik gave me a look of disapproval, and then spoke to the attendants standing around him.

[Bring paper and quills. Bring the tea made with mormala leaves. She hasn’t been taking it much these days, so the effects seem to be decreasing.]

[Yes, Your Highness.]

A moment later, textured paper, a quill pen, and a wooden bottle filled with ink was placed on the table. 

At first, I was shocked, but then I realized that the first successful communication had taken place.

‘Now we’re on the same page!’

So far, all my hand gestures and foot movements have been useless. However, after several days, my efforts had finally paid off, and something similar to emotion sprouted in my heart.

The wooden ink bottle they brought was so elegant that my spirits were lifted in an instant.

“Do you happen to have a map or a globe? Where are we?”

In an instant, I sketched out a world map on the paper and held it toward Rahik. I was unaware that my voice had risen with excitement due to this strange change.

“Of course, it’s not Australia, and I don’t think it’s America either. Is it Eastern Europe? The Czech Republic? Romania? Or… Bulgaria?”

She didn’t notice the heat that was buried deep in his gaze, as he watched her lips move.

He hadn’t replied for a while, but she continued to talk.

‘It’s nice to hear her speak.’

The burning pain in his throat felt as if he had swallowed the venom of a sylni.

The sylni, a beast that uses its venom to melt its prey before swallowing it whole, has always been a major weapon in war.

Rahik let out a low sigh as he unfastened the buttons of his collar that felt tight around his neck. His muscles were tense as if he was preparing for a battle and his pants were taut around his thighs.

“Excuse me, I would like a mirror.”

She gazed at him with sparkling eyes. Rahik wondered what kind of hopes she had. 

‘You started wagging your tail the moment I gave you what you wanted…’

She was quite easy to deal with.

Unlike the original owner of that body.

“I want to look at my face. I think I’ll remember my name if I see my face…”

The girl knew quite a few languages.

It has long been proven through many studies that this earth and the divine world have similar structures. Just as the nobles of this land learn and master foreign languages ​​for dignity, the ones of the divine realm did the same.

So, by observing the holy ones for a few days to see how many languages ​​ they used, it was possible to infer their origins and decide on their new position.

In that respect, she was successful. She spoke at least four different sacred languages fluently and two or three additional languages were used clumsily.

In this world, there were only two types of people who could use various languages, members of the royal family and linguists. Linguists, of course, were born aristocratic.

If you were born into a cultured family in the divine realm, you could learn a great deal very quickly.

In all honesty, it was dissatisfying that the body hailed from Roermel of the Summer Fence, but it worked out rather well for him. Now the Duke of Roermel, who had maintained neutrality like a mouse by using excuse after excuse, would certainly be drawn into the Crown Prince’s faction.

[On the ceremonial day, you will see a mirror in the Fountain of Holiness, so be patient.]

It was cute how she was listening carefully to his words and trying to figure out what he was saying. The creases between her sharp eyes were also charming.

‘I have never raised a pet, but if I did, would it be like this?’

Her damp, pale green eyes aroused a savage appetite within him.

Finally, he slowly fixed his gaze on her parted lips. 

‘What a cute little tongue.’

“Rahik? Are you listening?”